Queen backs plan to cut plastic use on royal estates

The Queen is backing efforts to reduce single-use plastics on royal estates.

Glass bottles will replace plastic equivalents in meetings and on-site cafes while non-biodegradable food packaging and plastic straws are also set to be phased out.

The new measures will affect Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

A palace spokesperson said the Royal Household was “committed to reducing its environmental impact”.

They added: “At all levels, there’s a strong desire to tackle this issue.”

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Media captionPlastic pollution is killing animals in the Arctic

New measures also include greater recycling efforts, a regular “green newsletter” for staff and the reuse of packaging to move goods between royal sites.

A spokesperson for environmental charity Greenpeace said: “It’s great to see the Queen joining the movement of people, businesses and institutions who are consigning throwaway plastic to the dustbin of history.

“With one truckload of plastic waste entering our oceans every minute, we should all pull our weight and help tackle the problem.”

The Scottish Parliament announced earlier this month it was removing plastic drinking straws from its cafes, bar and canteen.

Pizza Express, Costa Coffee, Wagamama and JD Wetherspoon are among the restaurant and pub chains to have confirmed similar plans to phase out plastic straws.